Animalistic
by katalocha23
Summary: She was an animal. She was hunted. Her only instinct is that of survival. But she didn't know what to expect when she came stumbling into Fairy Tail.
1. Runaway

She crawled her way through the mud, hoping the rain would conceal her. She prayed to the gods for protection, prayed for escape. She worked so hard to get away, she promised herself not to get caught. The distant sounds of the shouts mixed with the thundering rain concealed any noise she would possibly make.

"Find her!" The sound of the command had her blood freezing in her veins. She knew that man would not hold back if she were to be caught by him, so she resolved to keep herself from doing anything rash. She pushed herself to her feet and ducked behind a large tree. The rain and the mud that caked her clothes and cloak hid her scent should they use the other guinea pigs. The wind began howling at rapid speeds and she shivered violently. The sky poured its hatred down upon the ground as if to scream at the patron who use its resources. Lucy felt the same pain but thanked the gods for their blessing in an eventful night that helped cover her getaway. 

The adrenaline pumping through her body dulled all sense and she fought to breathe correctly. Come on Lucy! You cannot give up! Fight! She mentally screamed and took a deep breath. Her hair stuck to her face as she pulled out her key ring. Grabbing one key, she whispered the command. Her spirits and appeared before her. "Miss Lucy! We felt your distress. We must hurry!" Gemini whispered hurriedly. They gazed around the sopping forest, listening to the shouting from the distance.

"Yes. Transform into me and distract them long enough so I can get away. If you get caught, return to spirit realm immediately!" She will not risk the safety of her spirits.

"Understood. Be careful Miss Lucy." Gemini said and watched as Gemini transformed into her exact image. They nodded to each other before Gemini took off. At the sight of her impersonator, it worked as they men shouted and chased after her spirit. Taking the opportunity, she shot off in the opposite direction.

Her legs pushed her as she dodged the trees, jumping over logs and ducking under branches. The night was as dark as the sky and she thanked the heavens for the rain clouds that blocked the stars.

The wind whipped her wet hair around and the rain had drenched her to the bone. She screamed at herself to run faster, despite having trouble seeing directly in front of her. Even though she was grateful for the cover of the night, she still was not completely safe, because of the thought she could knock herself unconscious at any moment.

She was not sure how much she had run, but her legs burned from the overuse. She began to slow down, needing to breathe, but before she could stop, she felt herself plummeting forward. A shriek left her lips, before her body hit the ground and she began rolling down a hill. With each time she hit the ground, she could feel her bones rattle in her body. Her mind felt groggy and dizzy as she fought to come to a stop.

What felt like an eternity was probably a few minutes, her body finally came to a stop. The rain came down on her as her head shook. The trees looked to be double and she turned to push herself off the ground. Her step was unsteady as her vision swayed. She used a nearby try to support her until the dizzy spell went away.

When she could finally see clearly, she gasped before her. Further in the distance, she recognized the outline of a city. Pushing herself off the tree, she made a mad run to the city walls. The closer she got, the more she could see. She came to a skidding halt, she gasped. The sight of the Rune Knights guarding the entrance had her gasping. If they were to catch her, she did not know what could happen.

Her eyes scaled the wall and she paused. Just at the top of the wall was a break in the barbed wire and she knew if she was careful, she might be able to get through. With an instinctive stealth, she crept her way to the wall. Her senses heightened, looking for any noise that seemed unordinary. When she got to the wall, she pressed her back flat against it. She listened for the guards, but thankfully heard nothing. Turning, she faced the wall, gazing up at her entrance into the city.

Bracing her hands against the wall, she used it to create momentum, her inner strength kicking in. The jumped launched her body into the air, right where she needed to go. As she landed on top of the wall, she looked at the city below her. All was quiet with only the streetlamps lighting the way. Bracing herself, she leaped down, barely registering the sound of her cloak tearing and her calf being cut by the barbed wire.

When she had safely landed, she sighed with relief and looked around. She was not entirely sure where to go, but her instincts just told her to go. If she were to enter someone's home, she knew she would cause a ruckus and bring unwanted attention. It was then decided she could find an abandoned building or a warehouse of some sort to hide in. Her bare feet patted at the stone pathway as her head whipped around for what she was looking for.

If you were not looking for it, then you could have missed it, but thankfully she noticed it. She came to a halt and looked up at the tall shabby building. She saw the old paint chipped letters, but she could not understand what they said. Further up the building was a strange winged creature painted on it. She was speculating whether this could be abandoned but froze when sound of footsteps entered her ears. Panic seized her and she ran forward pushing on the doors. They budged lightly, giving her enough room to slip in.

She closed the doors as silently as possible and listened for the footsteps. They came close and slowly they receded. She sighed in relief, before turning examine the building before her.

All around her were several tables and to her side was a long counter where seats sat in front of. There was also a set of stairs further back that led to a balcony. She crept further into the building, listening intently for any stragglers. She held her breath, waiting to hear something. After a long moment she breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed just a bit. As her body finally calmed down, she could feel the throbbing pain all over her body. Especially that on her ribs, leg, and arm. She looked down at her arm, seeing two large gashes. They did not seem to be bleeding profoundly and shrugged it off, knowing her body will heal by morning.

She felt the innate urge to explore, but exhaustion crashed over her. She fought to stand and looked for somewhere to sleep. In a darkened corner, hidden in the shadow of the balcony was the scent of cleaning supplies. Following the scent led her to a big enough room filled with cleaning supplies. She made her way in and closed the door. Sitting against the wall, she pulled her legs up to her chest and yawned.

She felt the remnants of the drug starting to seep from her body and sighed relieved. As her eyes close and her mind drifted, for just a single moment, she felt safe.

**Rewrite and Edit**


	2. Alpha

Her mind was troubled, she could feel her body screaming for her to wake up. She wanted to stir, but her mind was so heavy and groggy, she couldn't. She knew that they had injected her with something to block out her animal DNA, but her body fought it. The night of her escape was her only chance to run, and she took it without a moment's notice. With or without drugs in her system, she had no choice.

The drug had left her usually heightened senses receded, leaving her with only of fraction of it. With freedom now in her hands, she found herself obliging to sleep, rather than waking like her body screamed at her to do. Her dream was as dark as every night, leaving a comforting feeling on her mind. Her dreams had always been dark and empty since she could remember and was alright with it staying that way.

She felt calm and relaxed until a scream had her body jerking awake. Her senses screamed at her and she looked around urgently. Light had flooded in from the open door and a long white haired woman stood there in shock. Panic took over and she dashed out past the woman, trying to make it to the doors she first entered. She stopped in shock as there stood many people. They all stared at her in shock.

Her heart thumped frantically in her chest. Her head whipped around for an exit, trying to make a run for it between some on the people. They had realized her intentions and purposely blocked her off. She tried twice more to break through the people blocking her in, but failed, as they started to push her into a corner.

She felt the growl build up in the back of her throat, as she bared her teeth at them. They were all surprised by the sound of her growl and backed off slightly. She took this opportunity to push her way under some of their legs, getting past them. She made a break for the door, jumping on top of the tables to get there.

She was almost there until a shout had alerted her. "Freed!" She looked back briefly, seeing a green haired man step forward. She didn't want to know what he was planning, and made a leap for the door, but was caught off guard when she felt her whole body being thrown. She felt the impact of her body hitting the wall and grunted.

When she hit the ground, she gasped from the exertion and stood once more to run to the door but was stopped by an invisible force. Panic flared through her as she tried to shove her shoulder against it, but it didn't break. A growl of frustration left her lips and she tried once more, slamming her body into it. Nothing happened.

After a few more tries, she felt the energy draining from her body and her breathing was heavy. The strange people began to gather around her cage, talking and staring at her curiously. A threatening snarl erupted from her chest as she crouched low on her hands and knees. She was ready to pounce if need be. Her eyes snapped back and forth between the strangers, hoping that she could threaten them away.

Their pointing, staring and talking made her feel like a caged dog. She slowly paced her cage, her knees braced. Her mind was a muddled mess. This can't happen. She was suppose to get away and live a life of long awaited freedom. They'll be here soon to find her and she needed to get away or else she'll be caught or given back.

A powerful aura seemed to be getting closer making her whole body tense. She had gone silent completely, trying to find where it was coming from. Right before her eyes, the crowd of people stepped aside. She bared her teeth, expecting to find a large opponent. Instead, a small old man appeared in front of her and she paused before growling at him. The aura that surrounded him was indeed powerful.

"What's this?" The small old man asked, studying her.

A red haired woman dressed in armor came to stand beside him, studying her also. "Master. Mira found her in the supply closet. It seems she had been sleeping there. When we tried to stop her, she tried to run." She could see the red head's eyes. They were cutting deep into her, as if trying to read her.

"Hmm." Their master hummed. "Freed used his magic to contain her." He observed with a hand to his chin.

The green haired man, who she assumed was the one they were talking about, came forward. "I did master. She won't be able to get out until I let her." At his words, she grew angry. How dare they trap her in such a feeble cage! She will not let them hold her captive! A ferocious growl esaped and she snapped her jaw at them, watching as some of them jumped back.

Her legs tense and she made a leap for it. Her body crashed painfully against the cage, but she still pushed. The lioness in her roared to be free and she was not giving in. "She's trying to break free." The red head said, in a flash a sword appeared in her hand. "Cease this!" She shouted, pointing her sword dangerously at the caged girl. She didn't care. She just wanted to break free.

With a shove of her body, she felt it crack. Pausing, she looked at it. It was a small crack, but it was enough. Gasps muffled themselves around her and she conctrated on her claws. Her eyes burned deeply against the small hope before. When her claws finally grew, she summoned her inner demon. The power, although weak, sizzled enough. With a swipe of her hand the crack broke and a hole formed.

She pushed her hand through the hole, grabbing ahold of the broken edge, ready to tear it, until she froze. The scents that hit her nose had her frozen. She had never smelt that kind of animal before, and it was a powerful one. Her body retracted against the wall and a small growl left her lips. Her eyes searched everywhere for the scent but she couldn't find it.

What was it? She had no idea, but this animal was indeed a dominant animal. Her waiting was cut short when the doors were thrown open, making her jump. At the entrance stood two large men and a girl. With wide eyes, she realized that they were the cause of the smell. They were the animal she'd never met. The men were both tall and burly. One had long uruly black hair while the other had short blonde hair. A scar decorated his face, and they both had serious dispositions. The girl was the opposite. She was small with dark blue hair. Her face was all smiles and her eyes shone brightly.

They were greeted with familiarity by her captors. "Oh dragonslayers!" The small old man said jovially. He approached them with ease. Dragons? Her head tilted and she tried to think back to hearing that.

 _"Dragons are very powerful predators with the stregth of 10,000 men. They could be the size of buildings and mountains. They've been gone for over 400 years, so you'll never be able to meet one for yourself."_ She remembered the voice of the old man who shared her cell. Her heart clenched painfully when she thought of her dear friend. Dragons! She couldn't believe what she heard. They were dragons. She was shocked beyond belief, trying to remember if her friend said anything about humans who had traits of a dragon. Nothing came to mind and she was lost. She didn't know what to do.

"What's going on gramps? Who's the mutt?" The blonde spoke as all attention turned back to her. She was offended. A mutt? How dare he! She snapped her jaw angrily at him and growled. She knew they were thrown off by that.

"I'd be careful of what you say Laxus. You shouldn't underestimate her." The old man chuckled. "Nevermind that, where's Natsu?"

"Salamander's just too damn slow." The black haired one spoke. He was gruff and his face was strange. He had metal stud piercings all over is face and arms. He was very strange looking.

"Oi! What'd you say metal head!" The shout of another man's voice surprised her. In a sudden moment, a blur came charging in through the open doors and she jumped in surprise. It was a tall man with pink hair. "You wanna go bucket brains!" He shouted, pointing a finger at the dark haired man.

The dark haired man growled and shouted in return. "Fine by me flame dick!" The battle of dominance commenced before her eyes. Both males head butted and growled at each other. She took a sniff of the air and whimpered. That smell, it was vaguely familiar. She remembered her tormentors tell her about the most poweful demon ever created. He was a mix of fire and etherious, created by Zeref to destroy the world.

Her whimper seemed to catch the dragons' attention and they all looked at her.The pink haired man looked at her curiously and began to approach, making her heart picked up. She backed herself into the wall behind her. He kept getting closer and she couldn't breathe. The dominant man bent down trying to look into her eyes. She felt the dragon in him and whimpered, looking at the ground.

"Is she intimidated by Natsu?" The small female dragon seemed surprised. Her alpha stood before her, someone she never should bark back at. He was the most powerful person she'd ever met.

As a sign of respect, she showed her neck. She must live, so she must obey him. That was her destiny.


	3. Hide Away

The room was tense and flabbergasted. They couldn't comprehend what was happening before them. A strange girl found sleeping in the supply closet cowered before Natsu. The small old man, who they called master, rubbed his chin in interest He had seen many things in his lifetime, but never had he seen anything like this before. He hummed to himself, studying the young woman closely. "Do you know this woman Natsu?" The red head looked at the source of the girl's sudden fear.

"Beats me! Never met her in my life!" He exclaimed, equally surprised. Lucy paused. He didn't recognize her status as his subordinate. She blinked in realization of the situation before. Her alpha was clueless of his identity. He only saw himself as a dragon. If he only knew of his dragon side, then surely his pack don't know of his other identity either. Her heart raced at the revelation. She could never reveal this to anyone or her lost freedom won't be the worst outcome. "Hey." She was startled by the sudden appearance of her alpha crouching down to meet her gaze. Her heart fluttered in anxiety as his dragon forced her to look into his eyes. "What's your problem? How do you know me?" Terror gripped her throat, and she couldn't find her voice to speak. Her body quaked at being so close to her alpha. "Can you talk?" The question had her heart pounding. She had to find a way to communicate peacefully with them and struggled to get a word out. Her eyes widened when she remembered the perfect sweet talker!

Her hand reached into her cloak, grabbing one of her priceless treasures. She brought the golden object to her face and closed her eyes. Her voice was a soft whisper in the wind as she spoke the familiar command. "Open. Gate of the Lion. Leo!" The beautiful key burned with the familiar and comforting heat, glowing bright.

The people gasped in surprise at the sight of the Zodiac key in her hands. Before them appeared a handsome man dressed in a finely pressed suit in a flash of light and stars. He bowed gracefully before them with an easy smile. "Greetings mistress." His voice was soothing with a low timbre. Everyone gazed at him in awe, he was very handsome, even with lion ears on his head. As he stood, looking at each person, he studied them skeptically. "I am the zodiac spirit Leo." He introduced himself and then turned to Lucy. He saw the fear in her eyes. His heart twisted for his master.

"Leo, I am the master of this guild, Fairy Tail, Markarov. Welcome." The small master came forward, with a smile. He seemed harmless to the eyes of those who didn't have magic, Leo could see how powerful he really was. "We're just curious about your mistress. We just want to know what's going on." Leo couldn't sense any dishonesty and was slightly relieved, but was still wary.

"Of course. We don't mean to frighten or cause any of you harm, my mistress was simply hiding." The last bit of information had many looking at each other in surprise.

"Oh? Could you explain it a little more?" Master Markarov asked, even more intrigued.

Leo looked over at Lucy, unsure if she wanted to reveal the truth to them. His mistress met his gaze and gave a nod, her gaze determined. With a low sigh, he looked once more at the small man. "My mistress' name is Lucy. You found her in your guild because she is on the run." He paused watching the faces of the people around him. They were all silent, listening to his every word. "When she was a girl, she was captured by a group of Zeref's followers. They kidnapped many people and experimented on them. They wanted to see how a person's DNA changed if combined with an animal's DNA." They were all stunned by this information.

"What is the purpose of these experiments?" The armor cladded woman stepped forward, her presence demanding attention.

"We were never too sure. They were very tight lipped about their purpose, but we came to a conclusion that they're making a brand new type of soldier for Zeref. One with wild instincts who'll only do as told." The guild was deathly quiet as they thought about this. A new kind of soldier made from innocent people. He went on. "They used the DNA of all kinds of creatures, finding that only those with magic could survive the experiments." A somber feeling casted itself over everyone's head. They all knew that Zeref's followers were insane, but this goes beyond anything they thought possible.

"What animal is she then?" A brown haired woman pushed her way through the crowd, with a tankard in her hand, nodding towards Lucy.

A small smirk touched Leo's lips. "She carries the DNA of a lion, a wolf, a jackal, an antelope, and-" He was abruptly cut off by a low warning growl. His head whipped back to look at her surprised. She met his gaze, her eyes were deathly serious. She gave a subtle shake of her head as her only response. Without another word, Leo gave a small nod back in understanding. "We never meant to scare or hurt anyone. But we can't stay here for long or they'll catch us. Please let us go." It was a desperate plea. He was someone who cared a lot about his master, not just him, all of her spirits could not stand the torture they put her through for years, not able to do anything about it.

Lucy watched silently. Her eyes gazing around at each and every face, seeing the many emotions cross their faces. She looked away, unable to watch anymore. She felt useless. She had been the strongest out of all o the Kemonomimi there, yet she was easily captured by a simple rune spell. A familiar darkness began to creep in. This sensation was an old friend who constantly mocked her. It hid its ugly head in the back of her mind and when ugly thoughts came to surface, so did her old friend. It screamed and laughed at her. 'Useless. You can never be free. You're a monster!' The words it threw at her seemed to chip away at her mind slowly. The further she began to sink, the more the world became a muddled mess. Voices were muffled and faces became only a blur.

Lucy was ready to succumb to that darkness until a scent she was so acquainted with hit her nose. Everything around her froze and her breath caught painfully in her throat. A loud, horror filled whimper left her chest, gaining everyone's attention. Terror consumed her being and she shoved blindly at the invisible wall. Her hands searched frantically for the hole she made earlier, but it was nowhere to be seen. "Miss Lucy!" Leo's panic filled voice made her head snap up.

His eyes widened when he realized the reason for her distress could only be one thing. He looked to Master Markarov. "They're here! Please help her hide, please don't let them take her away!" He dropped to his knees in front of the guild master, Lucy whimpered painfully for her friend. He shouldn't be on his knees begging for her. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he could say a word.

"Get up child." Master Markarov gazed at the zodiac spirit sternly. "Freed let her out immediately." He spoke with authority, prompting everyone to get moving. "Nastu take Lucy down to cellar, you are to guard her no matter what happens. Don't make any noise." The command made the pink haired dragon look at his guild master. The look in his eyes spoke volumes to Natsu and he only responded with a grunt and a nod.

When the barrier finally fell, Lucy was shocked that they were willing to help her despite the risks involved. She felt the heat of someone's large hand on her wrist and she looked down at it before following up to see her alpha. He gave a gentle tug and her body followed as they, along with Leo made a ran towards the bar. Adrenaline pumped through them as they leaped over the wooden bar dashed towards a small door. The door opened to a stairwell that led down. Natsu pulled her down while Leo shut the door behind them

They ran into a cellar filled with dusty bottles and barrels of what smelled like alcohol. Further back, Natsu opened a door that led to a storage room, filled with boxes and other things. Leo shut the door as quietly as he could and took a shaky breath. Everyone was silent, save for the beating of their hearts as they listened to what was happening above them.

A loud bang echoed making Lucy jump. Her body began to tremble as the voices became clear. Her heart stuttered and she felt a whimper leave her mouth. Flashes of the needles, the blinding lights, blood, and so much more played over and over in her head. She didn't want to go back, she didn't want to. A sob escaped her lips and she slapped a hand over her mouth to cover it, but the terror she felt left her body shaking. The tears wouldn't stop falling and she bit her hand, desperate to stop the sobs that threatened to consume her.

Lucy was caught off guard by the strong arms that wrapped around her. His body heat engulfed her, hearing the soft whisper of his voice in her ear. "Don't cry. I'm right here." His voice felt like a balm to her heart and she breathed in shaky breath. She clutched his shirt so tight in her hands, her knuckles turned white. He placed a gentle hand on her head and began to soothingly rub her head.

His warmth seeped into to her and she found herself calm. Her body stopped shaking and her lungs filled with air. She heard the steady beating of his heart, the noise drowning everything else out. She felt calm, safe, protected. She hasn't felt this for so many years.

Lucy had calmed down and all three sat in silence, as the commotion upstairs got louder. Upstairs, the guild watched the strange men warily. The leader of the group stepped forward. "We come in peace." The smile that crossed his face was unnerving to the mages. "You see, we came looking for our friend. She got lost and we were hoping if you had seen her, you could tell us where she went." The look in his dark eyes brewed with malevolent intent and Markarov who sat crossed legged on the bar, spoke up.

"Well gentlemen, I'm sorry to disappoint, but we haven't seen anyone of that description." He sipped leisurely from a tankard and grinned at the men. "Magnolia is a large city. We see all kinds of people pass through. Perhaps your friend is in another city." The small man stared directly into the other man's eyes, his gaze unfazed. 

The man silently stared back, anger brewing in his eyes. The anger vanished just as soon as it appeared and he smiled back. "You're right. We would've seen her by now. Thank you for your help," he turned to leave but paused. He looked back at old man and smiled. "I hope you don't mind, but I have one more way to find her." Before anyone could say a word, he pulled out a small box and pressed a button. They guild members looked around questioningly, not seeing anything strange happening.

In the cellar storage room, Lucy gasped painfully as her head began to pound with an unspeakable torture. Leo gasped, remembering the way to make their subjects submit. He came towards Lucy who clutched her head in pain. "They have a device that forces their subjects to submit through pain. She can't scream or else they'll know she's here." His frantic voice filled her ears and she bit her lip painfully, breaking the skin, trying to hold back the scream that threatened to escape.

Her head felt like it was about to explode as the pain seemed to only get worse. A whimper left her lips as she fell to her knees, holding her head. She barely registered the warm arms wrapping around her and pulling her to a warm chest. Her alpha held her tightly to his chest, a low growl leaving his lips. "Fight the pain. Don't let them win." The command in his voice made her whimper, but the animal in her bowed in acknowledgement to the command and she dug her nails into his back. He grunted as her nails clawed at his skin, the small open vest not really protecting him. The small woman in his arms thrashed to get away from him, but he held firm. The pain seemed to get worse, and she needed to scream. The roar that threatened to leave, bubbled up and she bit into his shoulder to hold it back. He grunted, wincing painfully when she dug her teeth into his shoulder.

She was holding back as hard she could and he needed to distract her. He pulled her back, placing a hand on her chin, forcing her to look at him. His eyes looked into hers and she was forced to look back. "You can do it. Fight it!" He growled, a broken whimper left her and she struggled to stay quiet. Her vision was clouded with black spots as she bucked. She couldn't breathe. The pain stopped her from thinking or doing anything and she was trying to keep quiet. Tears ran down her face and she opened her mouth. Natsu watched as she opened her mouth, but he had to stop her. He leaned forward and captured her lips in his mouth, hearing her breathless gasp. He shoved his tongue in, breathing into her. 

Lucy through all the pain recognized what he was doing and her eyes widened. Her was kissing her. His warm tongue tangled with hers and she whimpered. His lips moved over hers skillfully and if she wasn't in so much pain, she might've reciprocated it. The pain was blinding as she reached out to grab whatever she could. Her hands came in contact with his hair and she gripped at it tightly, aware of the grunt that let his lips. His arms tightened around her waist.

Just as she felt the pain come to a peak, she gasped and a quiet shriek left her. She thrashed in his arms needing to get away. Lucy felt her falling in and out of consciousness, the pain was the only thing she could feel until it just stopped. She fell limp against her alpha and he pulled back, his face slightly red and his lips swollen. Lucy looked up at him, taking large gulps of air. She felt weak and fought to stay awake. "They stopped." Leo whispered in relief. He placed a comforting hand to Lucy's shoulder and she looked back. Her face was covered in sweat and tears and she looked pale.

Natsu's breathed heavily as he listened in. The man with the strange device in his hands looked back. Although it was muffled and low, but he still heard it. He turned back to the old man and smiled. "I hope it's not too much trouble, but I would like to check downstairs. Perhaps she might've snuck down stairs without your knowledge." He smiled sweetly, stepping forwards, his men following him. A quiet growl of irritation left him and he looked down at Leo.

"Stay here and look after her. I'm gonna get rid of these punks." The lion nodded and watched as the pink haired man walked away. He lifted his gate keeper into his arms and carried her to a corner where barrels sat in front of. He could hide her there if anything were to happen upstairs. Placing her down, he leaned her against the wall and stared at her with worry on his face. Life had not been easy for his mistress and seeing her so frightened, made him frustrated. He didn't know how to protect her without draining her magic too much. His mind flashed back to when the pink haired man, Natsu had pulled her into his arms to pacify her and was glad to see it had worked as she soon calmed down. And then when he pulled her to him and kissed her. He was shocked to say the least and watched as he stopped her screams. He sighed with a chuckle, maybe this Natsu can be just the thing to help Lucy.

Back upstairs, Markarov raised an eyebrow at the men. "What are you talking about?" He paused, a small gleam in his. The look directed towards the men sent shivers of dread down all their backs. "I'm certain there's no one down there. Our lovely Mira always goes down there." He motions towards the beautiful white haired woman behind the bar. She gave an easy smile as she wiped a glass. "She would've told us if there was someone strange down there," The smile on his became almost threatening. "You surely couldn't be call her a liar." The dangerous look in his eyes dared them to say anything about it.

The leader, a wide shouldered man growled. His dark eyes narrowed at the old man. He pushed the scraggly brown hair from his face away in annoyance. Balthier was getting angry. He was ready to kill the bitch for making him suffer through this... this punishment! "You must be deaf old man, cause I know I heard something down there." He seethed through his teeth and fought himself, trying not to attack. He was surrounded by a guild of powerful mages and knew he was outnumbered.

The old man opened his mouth, about to speak before he was interrupted by a door slamming open behind the bar. All attention turned as a man with pink came out, a goofy smirk on his face. He blinked as he made eye contact with Balthier. "Huh? Who're you?" He asked. The pinked haired man looked messy. His clothes were all wrinkled and his hair was a complete mess. Balthier could see scratch marks on his body and narrowed his eyes at him. His lips were swollen with bite marks and a bite mark on his shoulder. 

"We're looking for our friend, she got lost. We thought she came here and heard something downstairs. We need to check it out." He bit out. He didn't want to keep repeating himself.

The pink haired man tilted his head with a raised eyebrow before straightening and smirked. "Ain't no one down there except my lady friend, pal." Balthier's eyebrows furrowed. "What? You're a man aren't you?" He was almost smug as he smirked at him, making him angry. Balthier growled and spun, pushing past his men.

Everyone watched as the dark mages walked out, the doors slamming shut behind them. Markarov broke the silence. "How is our new friend Natsu?" He asked the dragonslayer. Natsu looked at the guild master and grinned.

"She's a tough one." He said, almost proudly. "Porlyusica needs to look at her though." Markarov nodded and Mira set out to contact the older woman. Natsu turned and headed back downstairs. He entered the room and looked around, not seeing them. "Oi! Where'd ya go?" He called out and turned his head to see the Zodiac spirit pop his head out from behind some wine barrels. "They're gone. She's safe." He came over and bent to peer at the mud caked girl. Dried mud covered her body and face and Natsu wondered briefly how she really looked. He was curious about her. 

"She passed out from the pain and exhaustion." Leo said as Natsu lifted her into his arms and began to walk away. Leo followed the other man out and back towards the main hall. Back in the main hall, the talking resumed, filling the guild. Natsu carried an unconscious Lucy in his arms, his mind replaying everything. He looked down and smiled. She was something else.

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Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'm really happy to be starting this story and the positive feedback is really encouraging. This is my first story on this site and I was nervous to post it but, I'm glad I did post it. I'll apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling errors, I'm terrible at editing haha, but I'll try my hardest to fix it. That's all for now, but I'll be back soon with another chapter, until then!

P.S. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.


	4. Flashes

_Her body felt heavy, her mind was jumbled with obscure thoughts. Her eyelids felt sluggish as she pried them open. She was immediately blinded by a bright fluorescent light, making her hiss. Turning her head to the side, she felt her mind stop processing when she found herself in what looked like a hospital room. What was she doing here? She didn't remember getting hurt, so how did she get here? "Ah! She's awake!" A shrill voice rang out. She turned her head the best she could, finding a thin woman standing a small distance away from her. "You're quite a pretty thing aren't you?" The smile on her face disturbed Lucy and she moved to sit up and gasped. Looking down at her body, she found her hands and ankles strapped down to a table. Panic started to build in her chest and she pulled at the restraints._

 _"What's going on!? Who are you!?" Lucy yanked as hard as she could, but they wouldn't budge_.

 _"Don't worry. You won't feel a thing." Lucy watched in horror as she picked up a large syringe, filling it with a strange amber liquid. The look in her eyes as she flicked at the syringe made cold shivers run down Lucy's body. "I will make you into the perfect subject, you will lead us into a new age." Her words made Lucy shake and she yanked as hard as she could against her restraints. "Yes. You will be perfect." The look in her eyes as she watched the young girl struggle made her blood freeze. Her eyes were full of insanity, a bloodlust of insanity._

 _The woman's steps were almost predatory as she approached her. "Your time has come." Her words were like ice in Lucy's veins and she opened her mouth to call for help. A gut wrenching scream left the small girl's mouth as the needle was pushed into her arm, the amber liquid filling her veins._ _"Perfect!" The whisper of the woman's voice echoed in her young mind over and over again._

Lucy shot up, a gasp of terror filled her lungs. Her eyes snapped back and forth, searching for the familiar face of the woman who made her into what she was. Her heart pounded in her chest at an alarming rate and she struggled to breathe properly.

"If you don't calm down, you'll pass out again." A voice snapped at her and she whipped her head around to find an older lady with pink hair. She glared at Lucy and came over to her. "It's always something new with FairyTail." She grumbled and grabbed Lucy's hand, placing two fingers to her wrist.

Lucy hadn't realized it but thanks to the woman, she had actually calmed down. Perhaps it was when she snapped at her, Lucy was slightly surprised by it, instantly distracting her from her panic. "You're fine now. I'll inform Markarov." The woman said and stood up, leaving the room. When the door shut behind her, Lucy realized she was alone.

As she sat there, she remembered what had happened in the past few hours. She finally escaped from the life she could only remember, only to be caught by people who called themselves FairyTail. They were a strange bunch Lucy could say that much. They helped her hide from the Balthier and his men and now they had their guild physician look at her. She must repay their kindness. With a nod of determination, she pushed the sheets off her body and moved to the end of the bed.

Before she could do anything else, the door to the room swung open, revealing the small female dragon, her alpha, the armor cladded woman, and Markarov. Behind them the physician followed with a permanent frown on her face. The first to speak was the red head. "I'm glad to see you awake and well Lucy." A small smile graced her lips and she found that she was indeed a beautiful woman. "I'm Erza." She introduced herself and Lucy gave a small bow of her head.

"I'm Wendy!" The small dragon waved happily and Lucy gave her a tiny smile. Wendy's joy made Lucy's heart warm. She hoped that she used to be like that.

"We're happy that you're awake and well Lucy. You gave us all a small fright when you passed out." Markarov chuckled, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Hey." Her alpha's voice made her freeze for just a moment. She looked over at him and found his sharp gaze on her. She dropped her head in respect. He helped keep her quiet when all she wanted to do was scream. "Why do you act like that?" He asked, almost annoyed.

Lucy bit her lip, not knowing how to explain it to them. "Nevermind that. We need to help her get cleaned up." Markarov waved. Natsu sighed, obviously frustrated and stomped out. Lucy felt her gut turn, not happy that she caused her alpha to feel like that. "Don't mind Natsu. He'll come around." The fatherly smile he gave her calmed her down just a little. "Erza, why don't you and some of the girls take Lucy to get cleaned up and get her some new clothes." At his words, Lucy looked down and realized that she was caked in dried dirt everywhere. She touched her hair, seeing some of the dirt fall off. She must look like a complete mess.

"Wait." The pink haired woman snapped. "She can't put too much stress on her body, especially her mind. I'm not sure what they did to her, but her mind isn't completely healed." Markarov nodded in understanding.

"Thank you Porlyusica." He looked at the woman who only sighed tiredly. Porlyusica just shook her head, mumbling complaints. She gave Lucy one more nod of her head before leaving. "Ah, where were we?" Markarov grinned. "Erza, Wendy. Will you please help Lucy get clean up?"

"Yes master." Erza nodded.

"Of course!" Wendy excliamed in excitement.

Lucy was taken back when they both grabbed her arms and pulled her off the bed, dragging her out of the room. She was pulled through the guild, looking around in surprise when some of the others waved to them.

Soon they left, along with some more women. She met Lisanna, Juvia, Bisca, Cana, and Mirajane or Mira as she recognized her. Lucy also recognized that Lisanna and Mira were siblings from their hair color and their similar facial features. Lucy was taken to the Strauss house where they helped her clean up. After she was done, she found herself in a simple pair of pants and a shirt.

"You know, you're a very pretty girl." Mira smiled as she helped brush Lucy's hair. Lucy's cheeks turned pink and Mira chuckled at her reaction. The other girls were all chatting animatedly about which stores to visit. "I know what you are." Mira's whisper made Lucy freeze in shock. She turned her head to look at the beatiful woman. She tried to ask how she knew that, but the words seemed stuck in her throat. "When you used your magic, I recognized it." Lucy blinked. Would she tell everyone? "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." She winked and slight relief washed over Lucy, but she still felt wary.

She didn't exactly trust the woman too much, but if she was honest then Lucy had nothing to worry about. "Alright!" An excited Erza grinned, approaching the two women. "We've decided where to go! Come along Lucy!" Before Lucy could get a word in, the powrful woman yanked her up and towards the front door.

The others talked excitedly behind them while Erza pointed out the different places. Lucy looked around at the others, her heart warming. This is what it must feel like having a family. Not long after, they arrived at a clothing shop. Immediately, the girls got to work browsing the racks. Lucy looked around, not too sure what to do and walked up to one of the racks. She pushed through the clothes gently, admiring the different colors and the feel of each item.

"Lucy." She turned to find Juvia. She had a small smile on her face and she held a dress in her hands. "Are you having fun?" She asked. Lucy smiled and nodded, finding the blue haired mage very pleasant. "I found a dress you can try. I think it will look pretty on you." She held it out and Lucy gently lifted it from her hands, studying the light blue fabric. "Do you like it?" She asked hopefully.

Lucy nodded, smiling at Juvia. "Yay! Please go try it on." She said excitedly, pushing Lucy towards a dressing room. Once inside, she looked down at the dress and then back up. Removing her clothes, she pulled the dress on her body, situating it properly. She finally turned to look into the mirror, staring in wonder.

Her hair was clean and brushed out, seeing it fall just above her waist. The dress hugged her body perfectly, accentuating her womanly curves. The dress fell just above her knees, flowing freely. The top of the dress sat nicely on her breast, not showing too much. The thin straps were quite sturdy in holding the dress up. The light blue color complimented her skin tone, and she smiled at her reflection. She felt pretty. She opened the door of the dressing room, stepping out.

She found all the girls standing there waiting for her. They gasped at the sight of her, making her look down worriedly. Did it look bad on her? "You look amazing!" Lisanna squealed, earning giggles of agreement. Soon after, she was stuck in the dressing room, trying on outfit after outfit.

After what seemed like hours and her stomach grumbling made everyone realize that she hadn't eaten yet. Lucy wanted to object to buying so many clothes after seeing how many zeros the price was, but was reassured by Erza after she heard her quiet whimper.

They made their way back to the guild, chatting happily. Lucy tried to take some of the bags from the girls, but they only objected and insisted that they were fine with carrying the bags. When they reached the guild hall, she hesistated in front of the doors, watching the girls enter. She took a deep breath, and entered behind them. She looked down at the ground, hoping not to catch any attention from anyone. Lucy found that the guild was silent and looked up, curious as to why everyone had gone quiet.

She found that everyone was staring at her, almost in wonder and she looked away, a pretty blush tickling her face. She was saved from any embarrassment by Erza. "Lucy come sit down." She waved her over to a nearby table where Juvia, Wendy, and Lisanna were also sitting at. Cana and Bisca ran off somewhere else, Cana moved to the bar where a barrel of alcohol now sat in her lap. Bisca went to another male's side.

Lucy sat down gingerly and placed her hands in her lap. She simply observed the other girls as they all began to chat. "Lucy?" Juvia's voice caught her attention and she looked over to see the blue haired girl sitting down beside her. "Are you alright? You haven't spoken much today." Juvia was a really nice girl, Lucy could tell. Too bad she couldn't stay too long. Otherwise they would all be in danger because of her.

Lucy nodded with a small smile. "Yes. I'm not used to any of this. I was always told to be seen and not heard." She told her quietly. Surprise came over the other mage before she suddenly wrapped her arms around Lucy's shoulders.

Lucy froze in shock, unsure of what to do next. Her hands stayed frozen in her lap as she blinked. This feeling, it was something she'd never felt before. It was completely different when her alpha wrapped his arms around her. This was akin to something else, something warm and almost overwhelming.

Juvia pulled back and looked at her sympathetically. "Juvia is so sorry about what you've been through, if you ever want to talk, you can always come to Juvia." She smiled at Lucy.

Lucy's heart clenched painfully and she only nodded with a grateful smile. A small ruckus began to make itself known behind the table of girls and they all looked back to see the dragonslayers going at it. "Say it again bolt brain, I dare ya!" The sound of Nastu's aggitated voice reached Lucy's ears and she watched as he laid a flaming punch to the pierced dragon. He growled and threw a metal fist back at him.

Lucy watched carefully as they continued to throw fists. She studied each move, committing it to mind. Each twist and turn of their body moved through her mind like memory. As strong as they are, they were a bit sloppy in some aspects.

Left, right, up, hook. They moved quickly, never missing a beat. Until Lucy saw it- the metal one, he has a pattern. Right, right, down up. Each hit made it target and she almost winced from the sound of his fist hitting her alpha, she could hear the small grunts of pain accompanied by it.

Very well then. She stood up and made her way to the pair. They didn't seem to notice the blond approaching them until, she reached out and grabbed a hold of the metal dragon's wrist mid-hit with a quick hand. Both dragons paused and looked at the blond confused. "What are you-" the burly began to speak but was cut off when she twisted his body to fly over her shoulder and land on the floor.

The silence that filled the guild was tense with shock and worry. Gajeel, the iron dragonslayer, was known for his temper. Lucy watched silently as he growled and shot off the floor. He loomed over her with an angry scowl and she simply stared his way. "Sloppy." She spoke, hoping he'd get the hint as to what she was trying to do.

"Who the fuck you calling sloppy blondie?" He growled and swiped a fist at her, but she easily ducked it.

"Sloppy." She said again. He growled and swung again, aim for her chest. She simply evaded it and took a step back. He snarled and she saw the anger in his eyes. "Sloppy." She repeated and she watched as he angrily stomped towards her.

"I'll show you sloppy." He snarled and Lucy watched, as his hand turned into a metal beam, almost in amazement. He aimed for her stomach, and she bent her knees. As it came towards her, she used the momentum and jumped.

Her body went flying straight up as her jackal responded to the attack. The whole guild watched wide eyed at the sight of the blond flying into the air with ease. Gajeel was shocked as the blond came down. He was thrown off guard as her feet came landing onto his shoulders and she used his body to flip down, causing him to fall to the ground.

She gazed down at his body as he just realized what had happened to him. "Sloppy." She said once more, hoping to get her point across.

The blond dragon with a scar on his eye began to laugh loudly. "You just got bested by the mutt Redfox." He laughed and Lucy snarled quietly at the sound of the word mutt. Who was he to call her a mutt? She turned to look at him and study him. Electricity. She told herself. Not not just any, it was lightening. She braced her legs and prepared herself.

Her speed was much slower than usual, but she was still fast enough. She took off running, and just before she reached him, she leaped once more, using his chest as a stepping stone. He was cut off by the feel of a heavy kick to his chest, making him fall over. Lucy landed easily as she studied him. "Sloppy." She said.

"She went straight for Laxus." Someone whispered. "Is she trying to teach them a lesson?" Another voice whispered. She turned her head just a bit towards the voice, as if trying to give an answer.

"Why you-" Laxus, as one pointed out, stood and glared at Lucy. She just tilted her head, unconcerned by him. "You think you're tough, huh?" He growled.

He stood and Lucy waited. He threw a punch with lightening surrounding his fist in a quick motion. With an easy step, Lucy dodged his fist and came around with round house kick to his face. Laxus placed a hand to his cheek almost in shock. "How did you-" He glared at Lucy, almost confused.

"Sloppy." She repeated once more. His mouth dropped open is surprise. "Lightening is strong, but it's no use to you if you cannot control it." She looked him in the eye and then walked up to him.

He watched as she placed a hand to his chest, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, it felt as if someone pulled out all of the energy from his body, Laxus gasped. Lightening began to wrap itself around her arm, but it wasn't just any lightening, it was Laxus'.

The burly blond dragonslayer watched in shock as she began to manipulate his lightening. She threw bolts into the air and then caught. Using both hands, she made the shape of dragon using his lightening. "You must learn to become one with your power before fully realizing its potential." She spoke seriously.

Once more placing her hand on his chest, she took a deep breath. Laxus jumped when the feeling of his energy seemed to rush back into his body. "What just happened?" He mumbled to himself, shocked as he pressed to his chest, almost as if he were to pull it out himself.

"My. I must say, you are not one to be trifled with my dear." Markarov laughed gleefully.

Lucy looked down at the older man and gave him a small smile. Markarov looked back at the young woman and could see all the pain in her eyes. His heart hurt for her, a girl like her should've been living her life freely, not tormented by her demons.

The sound of the guild doors opening, caught everyone's attention. Three people walked in, bearing greetings. One was a tall skinny man with orange hair and the other was a man who was much rounder with black hair. The last person who entered had Lucy's heart stopping.

Her dark blue hair, her hazel eyes, her small stature, and her bright smile. They're all the same.

 _"Lucy, I'm scared." The small girl cried. Lucy's heart wrenched painfully for her young cellmate. Although they were close in age, Lucy had been there longer._

 _"Don't worry. I'll protect you." Lucy grinned at her. "I'm getting stronger, soon I'll be able to get us out." She smiled reassuringly. Her cellmate looked at her wide eyed, before a small crossed her face. She nodded in agreement. "We will be free one day. I promise." Her words rang loudly in her ears as she looked down at her hazel eyed friend._

The world began to blur and Lucy felt her throat close. She let out shallow breaths as she stared at the woman before her. It can't be.

 _"Here's your test today 213." Balthier's crooked smile sent chills down her spine. Dread pooled in her gut and she fought to control her emotions. Here in the sand pit, she was forced to fight, to spill blood. Lucy watched as his smile grew wider as he watched her fidget._

 _The door across the pit opened and Lucy's heart dropped. Men came pulling a shackled girl, but not just any girl, it was her friend. They unlocked her chains and shoved her in, closing the door. She looked up in fright at Lucy._

 _"Now, you're test for today is to fight. The last standing gets to see another day." Balthier chuckled sardonically. Lucy looked back at her friend heartbroken. She can't do, she won't kill her friend. "What are you waiting for? Start!" He shouted, making both girls jump. "It's a dog-eat-dog world ladies. Only the strong can survive." He growled and Lucy looked to her friend wide eyed. She didn't want to do this, she can't._

 _Her heart dropped when her young friend just nodded at her. She was determined. Lucy gulped and nodded. Both girls got ready and paused. In a single breath, they met head on. Lucy tried her hardest to not hurt her, but it was hard. Each swing seemed to get closer and closer._

 _"What is this? A game!" Balthier yelled angrily. "Fight!" He screamed. He pressed a button on his device and Lucy gasped as the pain began to pound. Her thoughts became muddled and she could feel the control slipping. Everything around her became fuzzy and she could feel her lioness slipping through._

 _Her nails grew long and sharp and all she saw was red. She saw a red figure and charged. Her hand came out, and she felt the blood splatter all over her as she clawed at the red figure._

 _The pain stopped and everything became clear once more. She felt in control once more. Lucy's heart dropped out of her chest at the sight before. Deep scratch wounds ran down her friend's chest and Lucy gasped as the blood began to run. "N-No." She whispered tearfully, looking at her friend._

 _The blue haired girl looked to the blond wide eyed. "L-Lucy. I'm sorry." She whispered before she collasped to the ground. A broken sob left her lips as she dropped beside her friend's still body._

 _"No wait. Please come back. Please." She sobbed. "I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry, please come back." She cried, clutching the girls shirt. "Please." She whimpered painfully. "Please don't leave me." She wailed._

"Hey, Lucy." A voice had her mind coming back to reality. She gasped and looked over. Erza looked at her concerned. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

Lucy placed a hand to her cheek and pulled her hand back surprised to feel tears. She looked at Erza and shook her head, unable to speak.

"Are you Lucy?" A voice spoke and she looked to see the ghost standing before her. She took a step back, feeling her throat close. Her eyes, they have the same earnest look. Her breathing was shallow as she shook her head, retreating some more. "Are you alright?" The ghost asked her.

"I-I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." Her voice cracked and quivered as she spoke. With that, she turned and jumped onto the balcony, before jumping onto a wooden beam and out a hole in the roof.

Y'all I know it's been a while since I posted, but I've been working a lot and there's been a lot going on at home right now, you know. I'm sorry for the late chapter, but I hope you like it.

Happy reading yall!!

p.s. I'm not very good with fight scenes, so I hope yall are seeing what I'm seeing.


	5. Ghosts

Lucy's mind was hectic as she ran from her ghost. She had escaped out onto the roof and now found herself flying across rooftops. _'Lucy, I'm sorry_.' Her large eyes flashed through her mind and Lucy shook her head pitifully.

Lucy gasped when she miscalculated a step and went stumbling across a rooftop, scraping her hands and knees in the process. She shuddered as she sat back on her tail end. A choked sob escaped her, and a waterfall of tears ran down her face. "Why, why are you trying to punish me?" She looked up at the sky. "I tried so hard, but I failed, I can't do anything right." Her voice cracked and wavered.

She wrapped her arms against her body, trying to find comfort within herself. Her heart tugged and pulled at the what ifs and she found herself sinking into her thoughts. Her old friend waved a toxic hand to her, giggling viciously. Its inky fingers wiggled at her, sending despair down her spine.

"I heard it's better to have a shoulder to cry on." A warm voice spoke. She gasped and looked up in surprise. Her alpha, Natsu, sat there. She blinked, looking away and wiped her tears away. The whole time, she felt his heavy stare on her face.

"What makes you think I'm sad? I could be sweating from my eyes for all you know." She blushed as she realized how silly she sounded.

"You're a weirdo." He chuckled. She looked back up at him and stared at him with tear rimmed eyes. "You know, it's okay to cry. Sometimes it feels like I will never find my old man and when no one's looking, I cry too." Lucy looked at him almost surprised. She saw an old pain flicker across his face before it was gone just a quick as it was there.

"Your father?" She tilted her head curiously. He turned to her with a nod.

"Yeah, Igneel taught me everything I know. He taught me how to read and write. He taught me magic too." A nostalgic grin spread across his face as he reminisced the old times.

"He sounds great. What about your mother?" Natsu chuckled at her question. "What?" She asked.

"I'm adopted." He smiled. "Igneel never dated either, he was a dragon." He laughed.

At first Lucy laughed at his joke, before studying him. She saw the truth in his eyes and her mouth dropped open. "You're saying your dad is a real dragon?" She asked astonished, he only chuckled and nodded. "There's no way!" She gasped. He let out a hearty laugh in response.

"Yes, he's a real fire breathing dragon." Natsu smiled down at the blond. She was surprised by the revelation. "Yes way. As crazy as it sounds, he taught me dragon slayer magic." He watched as she tilted her head curiously. ' _He was taught dragon... slaying magic? By a dragon?'_ Lucy felt slightly confused. The pink haired man studied her and found it quite cute the way she scrunched her nose up in confusion. "Dragon slaying magic is strong enough to kill a dragon. 400 years ago, dragons began to teach humans how to control dragon magic in order to slay the enemy dragon force."

Lucy was almost dumbfounded by the information she just learned. "Unfortunately, when the last of the dragons disappeared, the knowledge went with it also. The last of the dragon slayers remain in guilds. Gajeel, Wendy, Laxus, Sting, Rogue, and Cobra. You have met bucket brains, Gajeel. He looks like a mean bastard, but when little Levy comes in the mix, he turns into a teddy bear. It's actually kind of funny." Natsu chuckled to himself. "Although Laxus is a bit of a different situation, he's the big dumb blond, he's also the old man's grandson." He said and she titled her head. Old man? "The Master of Fairytail, took us all in when we were little. Most of us are orphans like me." The old pain crossed his features once more and Lucy felt sympathy for her alpha.

"I can't remember anything before the experiments. I can't remember if I have parents or not and I even forgot my last name." Lucy laughed bitterly as she stared at the space in front of her. Her mind began to turn with what ifs, and she found herself losing control of her rapid thoughts.

"We'll just have to help you find them, now won't we?" Natsu's cheeky voice brought Lucy back to her senses and she looked at the striking young man. He gave her a cheeky smile that made her stomach fill with butterflies. She looked into his dark green eyes and gulped when a wave of warmth spread through her body. Lucy's heart began to pound as a feeling she has never felt began to blossom under her skin. She felt her face flush pink, and she quickly looked away.

"Y-Yeah." She stuttered out. "That would be nice." She smiled shyly and gave him a timid nod. Her heart fluttered excitedly in her chest when a large and breathtaking smile lit up his face.

"Great!" He said. "We both can go parent hunting." Lucy blinked before a small chuckle escaped her lips.

Natsu felt calmer now that Lucy was laughing. Before when he first smelt her salty tears, he wanted to whimper and comfort her. The beast inside him banged against his cage fighting to protect the blond. His heart had stopped for just one moment as he watched her jump up and out the ceiling. At the time, he felt his emotions twist and turn everywhere in his head. The strongest instinct he felt was to go after Lucy and calm her down. Now as he sat on the roof with her beside him, smiling and giggling, he could not feel more content. Except, he wanted more. He wanted her as more than a friend, so much more. He wanted her everything. He wanted her smile, her laugh, her tears, her pain, most importantly, he wanted her heart. His body and mind called out to the beautiful woman before him.

"Parent hunting it is then." Lucy giggled and Natsu chuckled. His heart picked up at the sight her smile. It was radiant and heart stopping.

"You have a beautiful smile Lucy." Nastu's soft words seemed to startle the blond a bit before a pretty blush touched her cheeks. She looked down with a shy smile.

"Thank you." She whispered and he swore he felt his breath hitch happily as she accepted his compliment. The beast inside bristled with pride for making her feel happy. "You're not so bad yourself champ." She looked him in the eyes and blushed as she played with a strand of her golden hair.

He smiled happily. "Why thank you ma'am." He let a long drawl fall over his words and Lucy giggled at the sound of it.

"Is this how you sweep all the girls off their feet?" She teased and Natsu found he quite liked it when she teased him. He smirked and leaned forward, pulling the back of her hand to his lips.

He watched her intently as she blushed at his action, carefully watching him. "A princess deserves the best milady." He placed a gentle kiss to her knuckles and smirked when he heard her sharp inhale. Her face was a rosy pink, and he found it rather cute. Despite her obvious strength, he found that he quite liked her timid embarrassment just a little. He liked seeing her face turn pink because of him.

"I'm sorry I ran out." Lucy smiled sadly, the look in her eyes shifting to guilt. Natsu gazed at her silently as she pulled her hand back and brought her knees to her chest. "Everything is changing so fast and I don't know how to keep up." She laughed bitterly and tried to wipe her tears subtly. Natsu's heart twisted as she confessed her fears to him. He moved closer and wrapped a strong arm over her shoulder.

"It's okay to be scared. You don't have to always hold it back." He whispered reassuringly. He felt her body tremble before a sob left her mouth. She hid her head in her knees as she cried. He ran a comforting hand up and down her back as she cried her fears and pain away. She moved to hide her face in his chest which caught him off guard. He was surprised but wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

He let her cry for as long as she needed, she is a strong one, but even the strongest tend to fall too. When she finally stopped crying and let out little sniffles, she pulled back a bit. "Thank you." Her voice was harsh with tears as she spoke. Natsu gently pushed some strands of hair away from her face as he smiled at her.

"No problem. If you want to cry some more, let me know. You have my shoulder." Lucy smiled, feeling reassured by his words. Natsu, her alpha, was completely different than the others. He was kind and caring, so different than the others. She felt her heart jump just a little as he looked at her. "If you are up for it, why don't we head back down. I'm sure Levy would love to meet you." His words made her stomach clench.

She has to go back and face her ghosts, no matter how much she wanted to turn and keep running. With a deep breath, she stood up and both mages jumped down from the roof. Lucy did not realize how far she ran until they started their trek back. "You're a lot faster than I expected so it took me a minute to catch up with you." Natsu chuckled. Lucy blushed, feeling slightly guilty for making him look for her, but appreciated to gesture, nonetheless.

Natsu noticed the look on her face and placed a reassuring hand on her head. She looked up surprised. "Don't worry about it too much Lucy. I'm just glad you're okay." His smile pacified her anxiety and she nodded. He dropped his hand and she subtly looked down at his large hand. Would it be warm or hot against hers, would it engulf hers and make her feel safe? Her heart kept telling her to reach out, but she shook those silly thoughts away.

As the guild doors came to view, her heart painfully jumped in her chest. She placed a trembling hand to her chest, taking a deep breath. _You can do this Lucy; you are a warrior. You have survived some gruesome experiments and come out of the Cave alive. One person is not going to do anything._ She told herself as they stopped in front of the doors. Natsu watched her as she tried to give herself a pep talk, she was trying to find the courage to open the doors and face what made her run in the first place. When she finally found it in herself, she looked at him and nodded. With a smile of encouragement, Natsu pushed the doors open. They creaked and swung open, silencing the guild hall that seemed to be in a tizzy. Every head turned towards them, making her feel like Deja vu.

Relief and other emotions flashed over their faces as they began to talk at once. "Are you okay?" "Why'd you run away?" "Where'd you go?" Their concern was warming to her, but she felt slightly overwhelmed by all the questions being thrown her way. She glanced around, wanting to respond to all their questions, but it was hard to get a word in.

"SILENCE!" The guild went quiet as the master's voice filled the space around them. Lucy's head turned to see the small man on top of the railing on the second floor. "Now, if you'd all let the girl breathe before smothering her, then she'd be able to answer your questions." He continued calmly, to which Lucy smiled gratefully at the small man. He sent her a heartening smile and nod before chugging some alcohol.

"I'm alright, it was just a flash from the past that spooked me." She gave her best smile, but to her even that felt stiff and forced. The others just looked to each other before taking her excuse, they went back to what they were doing. Lucy felt herself breathe easier as they dispersed, Natsu's calming heat was able to help soothe her worries.

"Um Lucy?" The ghost approached her apprehensively, Lucy tried hard to not think back to that fateful day. "I'm sorry if I upset you somehow." Her brown eyes shifted down and Lucy felt the guilt build for making her seem like she did wrong.

"No, it wasn't that, you just look like someone I used to know." The strained smile on her lips made her cheeks hurt with the fake cheeriness. "You didn't do anything wrong." The girl smiled in relief and nodded.

"My name is Levy, it's nice to meet you." She held out a small hand to which Lucy shook with a bit of hesitancy. She looked exactly like her friend and wondered if this was her for just a moment. She wanted to ask her how she survived but refrained from doing so. Although the semblance is almost uncanny, she could not be the same girl. She watched her die in front of her eyes, she was the one who took her life.

"Hello Levy, it's nice to meet you too." She replied with the upmost civility. Levy is not her friend, but that does not mean she cannot protect her. Lucy will do everything in her power to ensure that this girl went unharmed and swore upon herself that she will not let what happened all those years ago happen again. Levy smiled and nodded, before going into a list of questions.

Although they were different, they had a need for more knowledge. Lucy answered most of her questions, avoiding the ones that went to deep into the source of her powers. When she was satisfied, Levy said that she would come by later and hang out with her. As Levy turned around and left, Lucy was by herself with her thoughts. Sitting at a table in the back corner, she began to think about the last few days.

With everything happening all at once, it was hard for her to catch her breath. The moment she escaped from the hell hole she has lived in her whole life; it was like something out of a book. These people willingly took her under their wing and helped her out of trouble. Now all she had to do was repay them, but she was unsure of how long that would take. The fear that Balthazar would come back, but with a bigger army and hurt all these good people made her stomach twist. She did not want to hold their demise over her head, so it would be best if she were to leave soon.

The longer she stayed, the more the threat grew every day. They will not stay idle for long and will come looking for her eventually. She knew that it would be a matter of time before wrath rained down upon them. She ran a hand down her face and exhaled a shaky breath. There is so much to process, and she is still reeling from the last 48 hours.

The day long exhaustion finally hit her, and she put her head in her hand to quell the sudden headache. Her eyes felt heavy and troubled, she wanted to rest and never wake up, but that was not a part of her fate. The heaviness in her eyes started to settle on her shoulders and she slumped forward, placing her head on her arms. _J _ust five minutes and I will get up soon__. That was the last thought on her mind before she drifted off into a deep sleep.


	6. Starting Over

The guild went semi silent as the soft sound of sleeping breaths filled their ears. Their attention turned to the pretty blond who showed up not too long ago. She was sleeping in her arms, dreaming away. They were thrown off by the blond girl, she was a mystery even to the strongest wizards. The dragon slayers were also taken back by the girl, she was not normal in any way.

There was something hiding behind the tough exterior she presented herself with. The powers she possessed were more than she was letting on, but the cold cut silence of her powers was sealed behind her lips. She had even forbidden her celestial spirits from speaking a word more, meaning there was something that she did not want to share. Many members of the guild were baffled by her simple existence, they were unsure what to make of her.

Natsu on the other hand had seemed to take a liking to the girl, his eyes showing a deeper emotion they did not think he had in him. Was the ever-oblivious dragon slayer finally falling in love? They knew though that the betting pool would start soon enough with others trying to bet how long until he made his heart known to her. Natsu was unbothered by their attention as he walked over to the sleeping blond, they watched as he brushed aside the hair in her face. The smile on his face spoke a thousand words to the other guild members and they all looked at each other. Natsu gently picked the girl up into his arms, holding her like a bride. The pretty blond snuggled into his chest as he walked toward the infirmary.

Natsu could feel the other guild members eyes on him as he carried the sleeping girl. He couldn't understand what he was feeling, since the moment he had seen her, he wanted to talk to her. He wanted her to look at him and smile, not fear him. When she trembled before him, something was telling him that she knew something he didn't. There was something she was hiding, but he didn't want to push her. As he walked into the empty infirmary, he shut the door behind him. Placing her on one of the beds, he leaned back and looked at her sleeping face. Most of the time she was serious, with her brows crinkled in worry. It was obvious by the men who came looking for her that she was worried of their return and he knew she was going to do something soon.

With a long sigh, he traced the shape of her face with his thumb and smiled. "I hope you trust us to help you, now that you've stumbled into FairyTail, we're not gonna let anyone hurt you." He whispered into the quiet, gazing down at the sleeping girl.

 _She felt numb as she stared up at the ceiling of her cell. The same dirty grey ceiling she's been looking at since she could remember was almost like a comfort. Just like any other day, she had just come back from one of the many experiments they do daily. Everyday they inject her with something new, poke and probe her until they get bored and move on to the next person. She could feel whatever she was injected with pump through her veins, the sound echoed in her ears like drum._

 _The more she looked at this ceiling, the more her hope dwindled. Everyday is a continuous cycle of needles and sick pleasure, it was all so lackluster now that she had finally stopped caring. Eventually she stopped fighting the binds and crying, her tears seemed to have dried out completely. Since the deaths of her only friends Rose and George, she has been more alone than ever. Sure, there were other people with the same mixed DNA as her, but like this place, they only lived to survive. There were no friends in the Cave, friends become your weakness and eventually your end. Lucy had learned that the hard way, finally telling herself to stop trying._

 _She felt an incoming headache and winced when the sharp pain began to spread quickly. The pain made her head pound against her skull, making it hard to ignore. She lifted a hand to rub her head but had stopped when she looked at her fingers. Claws began to elongate themselves and patches of fur started growing on the back of her hand and down her arm. She blinked in shock as she stared at her hand. She is a freak now, her mind screamed at her. 'No little one, not a freak, but a warrior. Freedom is almost there, just wait a little longer.' A soft voice whispered in her mind, making the headache pound harder._

 _Her eyelids were heavy as the need to close her eyes and fall deep into sleep filled her with a deep breath, she let her body relax and her mind float away_.

Lucy's eyes snapped open and blinked as she stared at a white ceiling. She sat up to find herself in the infirmary where she woke up the other day. She looked out one of the windows, finding the sun high in the sky. She must have passed out early yesterday, the new day was shining down upon Earthland. She noticed she wore the same dress from yesterday, she began to wonder how she got into bed. Getting up, she moved to the bathroom and washed her face and checked her reflection before leaving the infirmary.

Stepping out, she was met with the sound of the guild members chatting amongst themselves. With slow steps, she descended the stairs, gazing out at the members. She recognized some of the ones Natsu described to her such as Gajeel and Wendy. Wendy was a younger girl with two long dark ponytails. She wore a bright smile on her lips as she spoke to the more stoic dragon slayer, she smelled of clouds and wind on a warm sunny day. Her brown eyes turned about the rest of the room, spotting the red hair warrior Erza and the ice mage Gray. Gray had his arm wrapped around the shoulders of Juvia who was beaming up at him. His cheeks were flushed slightly as she snuggled into his side. Lucy smiled at the sight and continued to look around. She spotted a white and blue talking cat with wings spouting from their backs. The blue cat was trying to pass a fish to the pretty white cat who blushed and denied his advances. It was one of the sweetest things she'd seen.

She made her way to the bar where Mira was cleaning some glasses. As the blond approached, the white-haired beauty looked up and smiled. "Good morning Lucy, did you sleep well?" She asked.

Lucy smiled and nodded, "I did, thank you for asking." She felt her heart beat fast as she nibbled her lip, she was almost hesitant to bring this up to the nice girl. "Um Mira?" Mira smiled at the blond kindly, Lucy couldn't look at her in fear that she could start crying her eyes out of nowhere. "I've been thinking, and I don't think it's safe for me to stay. I don't want to put any of you in danger, so I've decided to leave. I would like to pay you all back eventually, but I cannot risk anyone's safety here. I will leave later tonight to get a head start in the morning." Lucy finished her small speech with a small intake of breath.

She looked up at the barista who opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by someone else. "You can't leave Lucy." Her head spun around, and her eyes widened when she saw Natsu standing there. His eyebrows were scrunched up as he stepped closer to her. "FairyTail is a lot stronger than you think. We won't let those guys hurt you Luce, I know you think you have to leave, but we don't want you to leave." The pang in her chest made her breath short and shaky. His words felt so raw and sincere, she wanted to believe him, but the fear still lingered.

"He's right Lucy, we're a lot stronger than we look, and we take care of our family." This time it was another voice, she looked to see Erza stepping forward. "There's need to be alone anymore, we'll help take care of you." She smiled and held out a hand.

Lucy felt tears prickling at the corner of her eyes, the urge to break down was strong. She tried desperately to blink them away, but they remained. "Why? They could bring an army, and everyone could get hurt. I don't want that to happen to anyone." Her voice shook with so much emotion that it was hard to get the words out.

"So, what if they got an army? We got each other and we fight until the very end, that means we got your back." This time it was Wendy who joined in the conversation. Her earnest eyes made Lucy's heart pound painfully.

"My dear." The master's voice reached her ears and she turned to look at the small man. He sat on a table nearby where most of the guild's attention was now focused on. "Life is a great mystery that we as wizards are still trying to figure out. Living a life on the run is not good for anyone, always looking behind your shoulder is not the way to live. If their army comes knocking at our door, then we'll send them back to where they came from. No one here has the perfect past; your past does not define who you are. You define who you are, so stand tall child. You have more potential than you give yourself credit for, stop trying to fix the past and live for the future." The master's words were like a balm to an old burn, it soothed some of her anxiety and panic.

"Say you'll stay Luce, become a part of our family." Natsu's voice filtered into her ears and she turned to the pink haired boy. She nibbled her lip in thought, perhaps they're right. Maybe she can live a peaceful life with such amazing people without the fear of always looking behind her.

With a small smile on her lips, she nodded. "I'll stay. I'll become a part of FairyTail." Her words sent the guild into an uproar of cheers and whoops. She laughed when a large man with white hair picked her and sat her on his shoulder. He yelled something about being manly and Lucy felt her heart start to swell in happiness. They came up to her and welcomed her in their own ways, the joy she felt at that moment she knew she would remember the rest of her days.

They showed her their marks, all placed on different spots, all of them different colors. Each was a symbol to their personality. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she belonged somewhere. Elfman, who she figured was one of the Strauss siblings, set her down next to the bar where Mira was waiting with the stamp. Lucy smiled at the kind woman as she asked her where she wanted her. Lucy thought about it and looked down at the back of her hand and smiled. She lifted her hand up, "where I can always look at it." The smile that Mira sent her made her feel even more confident about her decision. She watched in wonder as the stamp touched the back of her hand, Mira then asked her what color she wanted. Her mind flashed to warm brown eyes and a smile touched her face. "Pink please." The stamp was removed and there was the light pink mark.

"Let's party!" Someone cried, and it was followed by a cheer of agreement. Lucy watched as everyone began to relax and drink. Merriment filled the guild the hall and the sight filled her with warmth.

Natsu's grinning face came into her view and she couldn't stop the smile on her face. "Thank you." She said loud enough for him to hear. He smiled and placed a warm hand on the top of her head.

"We're family now Lucy, don't worry about." His hand slid to her cheek as he brushed some hair from her face. The sudden jump in her pulse was an indicator that this dragon slayer made her feel deeper things. She felt her cheeks turn warm and looked away from alluring eyes.

"Family." She mumbled to herself, feeling the big smile spread across her face. She felt her keys warm up at her side, their happiness for their mistress was palpable even in the heavens. Somehow the ground seemed hotter, as if the stars sparkled brighter for her.

As she was pulled into the flurry of their guild party, she knew this was where she wanted to be. As the day grew into night, they continued to drink and tire themselves out. By the end of the night only a few remain upright and aware, including a slightly tipsy Lucy. Although she wanted to drink until she was also passed out, but her constant wariness for her past demons kept her sober enough to hop into action if need be.

One of the others still sober, which was a surprise to Lucy, was Natsu. The obvious tint of red on his cheeks indicated he was feeling the effects of the alcohol as well. He wobbled slightly to Lucy, plopping himself down onto the bench next to her with a grunt. "How'd you like our FairyTail welcome?" Maybe it was the alcohol, but the urge to reach out and pull him close was strong. She held herself back though, smiling at him instead.

"It's great, I got to say though, you guys can sure drink." She laughed, thinking back to the barrels of the bitter drink being guzzled down by Cana, the card mage. She had shown Lucy her cards, reading her future, telling her that she was faced with difficult decisions yet to happen. This had thrown Lucy off, but Cana had reassured her and told her it was probably something like her love life it was referring to, this had made her blush profusely.

"You're right, sometimes I like to drink that much, but the headaches aren't the best in the morning." The lopsided smile he sent her had her heart fluttering.

"I bet. This is really the first time I'm drinking, so I'm not trying to go too far." She leaned her head on the palm of her hand and looked at him. His hair was ruffled from the flurry of activity that was going on earlier, his tanned skin glistened in the light. The guild's light defined his muscles, the sight of his dark green eyes pulled her in, she wanted to get lost in them all night. She blinked at herself in surprise and looked away before she could embarrass herself.

"I understand," he grinned. His grin fell and a shy look crossed his features. "Um, Lucy?" He cleared his throat. She nodded and smiled at him, telling him to continue. "I know that you don't have a place of your own, and I ain't got much, but I have extra space if you need a place to stay for a while." His offer was tempting, meaning she'd be around the man who made her feel strange things a lot more, but she wasn't sure how much her heart could take. On the other hand, it would give her the chance to have a place to stay until she could get one for herself. She looked at the pink haired man who still was blushing, he fidgeted in his spot.

Smiling, she nodded. "I would like that, thank you so much." The relief on his face almost made her giggle.

"It's no problem Lucy. Happy went to Wendy's tonight, so it'll be just me and you, if that's cool." He added quickly, the pink on his cheeks turned darker.

This time Lucy giggled out loud and nodded. "That's okay. Actually, I'm pretty tired now that I think about it." She felt a yawn bubble up on cue, her hand covered her mouth.

"Let's head to my house then." He stood up and held a hand for her, her eyes looked at it before him, a sort of déjà vu washed over her. Placing hers in his, he guided her around the sleeping bodies on the floor. They waved goodnight to the other members still awake. As they left the guild hall, they settled on a peaceful silence. Although they could fill this moment with chatter, they both remained quiet to take in the beauty of the night. Her eyes moved up to the sky, seeing the stars twinkle upon them.

The night critters chirped and sung, filling the night with a sort of tranquility. They walked through the sleeping town; their hands still unknowingly twined together. They were both in their own thoughts as they walked. After a few minute-long journeys through town, they came across a house at the top of a hill. Lucy was taken back by the size of the house. It had what looked to be two floors, but the size proved that it must be bigger than she can see. "This is where you live?" She looked at the dragon slayer.

The grin on his face made her heart flutter. "Sure is! It used to be a smaller house with only a few rooms, but me and Happy rebuilt it." The tone of his voice told her that he was proud of their work. "Come on I'll show inside." He tugged on her hand and pulled her towards the door. She waited for him to open the door and was stunned by the inside of the house.

Dark brown wooden walls gave the house a rustic feel. The first room they entered was a den area. It had a TV along with a large fiver person couch. "When did you guys do this?" She asked curiously.

He hummed to himself as he reminisced on the time. "Probably a year ago now. It hasn't been that long." His dark green held hers as she listened to him.

"This is impressive. How many rooms did you guys build?" The more she listened to him, the more curious she was.

"There is a total of four bedrooms, three bathrooms, the den, an extra room, the kitchen, and a game room." He listed each room off with his fingers. Her eyes widened as she tallied the rooms to come to a total of 11 rooms.

"Wow! What made you guys build so many?" She walked around the house, drifting through each room, with Natsu close by.

"It sounds a bit weird but being a dragon slayer gives you some personality traits from real dragons. Because of that, I have the urge to make my 'nest' bigger for my future life partner." His cheeks turned a dusty pink as his eyes widened. "I hadn't met anyone at the time; I just got the urge to do it out of nowhere." He added quickly, making his cheeks turn even darker.

Lucy absorbed the information and tapped her chin. "So, you have some traits similar to a real dragon and that was the reason you rebuilt your entire house." She confirmed to herself out loud, he nodded at her quickly. "That's pretty incredible!" Lucy grinned at the pink head. Relief crossed his features before a smile took over her face.

"Thanks Luce." He walked up to her side, placing a warm hand on the small of her back. He guided her up a flight of steps she had not noticed before until now. "I'll show you to your room." They proceeded up the stairs and onto the second floor. On this floor, she counted the four bedrooms, two bathroom and the extra room Natsu mentioned earlier. He showed her room for the time being, and she honestly blown away by it. There was a large bed with dark blue sheets and a mountain of pillows. There was a desk on the opposite end, with two different doors on both sides. She made her way to the one of the right and found a deep closet. Behind the other was a bathroom.

Her eyes widened and she swung her head around to Natsu who was putting her bags on the bed. "I thought you said there were only three bathrooms. There's one attached to this room." She was almost in awe at the sight of the claw footed bathtub and large sink. The mirror almost stretched across the whole wall.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about this one. It's the only bedroom with an attached bathroom, so you're lucky." He grinned at the girl who was still in disbelief.

She blinked out of her disbelief and smiled at him. "Thank you so much Natsu, this is more than I could ask for." The burn of tears in the back of her eyes reminded her the alcohol made her more prone to her sappier emotions. Shaking the tears away, she held the dragon slayer's gaze.

"It's nothing Luce really. We are family now; we need to watch each other's backs. If it were the other way around, you'd do the same for me or someone else." Natsu's words made her heart hurt, knowing that he was right, but she does not want what happened to her to happen to someone else in Fairytail. "I'll let you get ready for bed now. Goodnight Lucy, sweet dreams." He smiled and patted the top of her head.

She bid him goodnight and watched him leave the room. As soon as the door shut, she exhaled the breath she was holding. His presence somehow unnerved her but intrigued her at the same time. Shaking those thoughts away, she felt the urge to bathe before heading to sleep. Searching through her bags, she found a pair of short shorts and a tank top to wear. She made her way to the bathroom, cracking the door open.

Filling the tub with scalding hot water, she pulled the dress off over her head. When she was completely naked, she slowly slid into the burning water and sighed in content as the warmth seeped into her skin. Lucy was unsure of how long she was in the tub, but she stayed in until it started to lose its heat. After that, she rose and wrapped a fluffy thick towel around her body. Drying herself off, she dressed slowly, feeling the day and alcohol finally catching up to her.

Back in her new room, she moved everything to the side, turned off the lights and plopped herself onto the large mattress. It swallowed her comfortably, the softness starting to lull her to sleep. Before she fell asleep, she pulled the warm comforter over her, feeling snuggly and safe. Not long after, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep, where no one haunted her or taunted her.

They were both in their own thoughts as they walked. After a few minute-long journeys through town, they came across a house at the top of a hill. Lucy was taken back by the size of the house. It had what looked to be two floors, but the size proved that it must be bigger than she can see. "This is where you live?" She looked at the dragon slayer.

The grin on his face made her heart flutter. "Sure is! It used to be a smaller house with only a few rooms, but me and Happy rebuilt it." The tone of his voice told her that he was proud of their work. "Come on I'll show inside." He tugged on her hand and pulled her towards the door. She waited for him to open the door and was stunned by the inside of the house.

Dark brown wooden walls gave the house a rustic feel. The first room they entered was a den area. It had a TV along with a large fiver person couch. "When did you guys do this?" She asked curiously.

He hummed to himself as he reminisced on the time. "Probably a year ago now. It hasn't been that long." His dark green held hers as she listened to him.

"This is impressive. How many rooms did you guys build?" The more she listened to him, the more curious she was.

"There is a total of four bedrooms, three bathrooms, the den, an extra room, the kitchen, and a game room." He listed each room off with his fingers. Her eyes widened as she tallied the rooms to come to a total of 11 rooms.

"Wow! What made you guys build so many?" She walked around the house, drifting through each room, with Natsu close by.

"It sounds a bit weird but being a dragon slayer gives you some personality traits from real dragons. Because of that, I have the urge to make my 'nest' bigger for my future life partner." His cheeks turned a dusty pink as his eyes widened. "I hadn't met anyone at the time; I just got the urge to do it out of nowhere." He added quickly, making his cheeks turn even darker.

Lucy absorbed the information and tapped her chin. "So, you have some traits similar to a real dragon and that was the reason you rebuilt your entire house." She confirmed to herself out loud, he nodded at her quickly. "That's pretty incredible!" Lucy grinned at the pink head. Relief crossed his features before a smile took over her face.

"Thanks Luce." He walked up to her side, placing a warm hand on the small of her back. He guided her up a flight of steps she had not noticed before until now. "I'll show you to your room." They proceeded up the stairs and onto the second floor. On this floor, she counted the four bedrooms, two bathroom and the extra room Natsu mentioned earlier. He showed her room for the time being, and she honestly blown away by it. There was a large bed with dark blue sheets and a mountain of pillows. There was a desk on the opposite end, with two different doors on both sides. She made her way to the one of the right and found a deep closet. Behind the other was a bathroom.

Her eyes widened and she swung her head around to Natsu who was putting her bags on the bed. "I thought you said there were only three bathrooms. There's one attached to this room." She was almost in awe at the sight of the claw footed bathtub and large sink. The mirror almost stretched across the whole wall.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about this one. It's the only bedroom with an attached bathroom, so you're lucky." He grinned at the girl who was still in disbelief.

She blinked out of her disbelief and smiled at him. "Thank you so much Natsu, this is more than I could ask for." The burn of tears in the back of her eyes reminded her the alcohol made her more prone to her sappier emotions. Shaking the tears away, she held the dragon slayer's gaze.

"It's nothing Luce really. We are family now; we need to watch each other's backs. If it were the other way around, you'd do the same for me or someone else." Natsu's words made her heart hurt, knowing that he was right, but she does not want what happened to her to happen to someone else in Fairytail. "I'll let you get ready for bed now. Goodnight Lucy, sweet dreams." He smiled and patted the top of her head.

She bid him goodnight and watched him leave the room. As soon as the door shut, she exhaled the breath she was holding. His presence somehow unnerved her but intrigued her at the same time. Shaking those thoughts away, she felt the urge to bathe before heading to sleep. Searching through her bags, she found a pair of short shorts and a tank top to wear. She made her way to the bathroom, cracking the door open.

Filling the tub with scalding hot water, she pulled the dress off over her head. When she was completely naked, she slowly slid into the burning water and sighed in content as the warmth seeped into her skin. Lucy was unsure of how long she was in the tub, but she stayed in until it started to lose its heat. After that, she rose and wrapped a fluffy thick towel around her body. Drying herself off, she dressed slowly, feeling the day and alcohol finally catching up to her.

Back in her new room, she moved everything to the side, turned off the lights and plopped herself onto the large mattress. It swallowed her comfortably, the softness starting to lull her to sleep. Before she fell asleep, she pulled the warm comforter over her, feeling snuggly and safe. Not long after, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep, where no one haunted her or taunted her.


End file.
